Clothes retainer or guard



March 17, 1953 Filed Sept. lO, 1949 l.. PETERS ET AL 2,631,338

CLOTHES RETAINER OR GUARD 2 SHEETS-SHEET l ri v.

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2% Q?. 55@ ya [y l March 17, 1953 PETERS ET Al. 2,631,338

CLOTHES RETAINER OR GUARD Filed Sept. 10, 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 umm@ D IL Z Mm. 38"? I 40;/

structure and its inner wall is provided with apertures I 'I adapted to receive pins I 9, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5.

The inner bar I2 is preferably provided near the free end of the door with a recess I8 communicating with a locking recess I9, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.

We prefer lto equip` the clamping bar I4 near its outer free end adjacent the free end of the door with means for locking the clamping member in clamping position with respect to the pins |16 while permitting a release of the clamping bar by an authorized person outside the door and the release also by the housewife upon the opening or partial opening of the door. In the illustration given, we provide a slidable bar 29 which is received within the open end of the clamping bar I4 and is provided with a slot 2I which receives a pin 22 extending through the rectangular clamping bar I4. The bar 20 is also provided with' a transverse slot for receiving the rotatable barrel 2-3 of a key-controlled lock. Fixed to the barrel is a locking stud 2li equipped with an angularly-turned vsegment `25. It will be understood that the barrel 23 may be controlled by a combination lock mechanismor by other suitable means instead of by a key.

Operation In the operation of the structure shown in Figs.

1 to 7 inclusive, the barrel 23 is normally turned to locking position as shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the stud 24 is rotated to bring the angular segment 25 behind the locking recess I9. When the door is closed, it is impossible for anyone to unlock the clamping bar I4 without the use of the key or other means for rotating the barrel 23. However, the housewife may open the door I or partially open it as illustrated in Fig. and then by drawing the slidable bar 20 toward the doorframe 26, she moves the angular segment 25 of the locking bar 24 to the position shown in Fig. 5 within the recess I8. This allows the segment 25 to clear the recess I9 and the clamping bar may then be swung upwardly to open `position as illustrated in Fig. 7.

When the deliveryman wishes to obtain. access to the bag or other container carried thereby, he may insert the key within the lock and rotate the barrel 23 to the position shown in Fig. 4. This rotates the locking segment 25 away lfrom the locking recess I9 and permits the clamping bar to be swung to open sosition. For relocking the clamping bar, the deliveryman simply swings the clamping bar I4 downwardly into closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and then rotates the barrel 23 to bring the locking segment 25 within the recess I9.

f By the means above described, it will be observed that the housewife obtains ready access to the inner bar by merely opening the door and slidably moving the bar 20 in an outward direction while the deliveryman obtains access to the barthrough the use of a key or other means for manipulating the lock. The structure is extremely simple, requiring no mutilation of the door or doorframe while at the same time occupying very little space when the clamping bar is moved to open and closed position.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 8 to 15 inclusive, the door Illa is hingedly mounted within the doorframe 26a in the usual manner so that the door may be swung inwardly. Inner bar 21 isl secured to the door Illa and is equipped with pins 28.

Clamping bar 129 is hingedly and slidably mounted upon the inner bar 21 by means of a special hinged structure. One part of the hinged structure is the cylindrical member 30 which is xed to the inner bar 21 and is longitudinally apertured to receive a hinge rod 3l. The hinge rod 3| as shown more clearly in Figs. 11 and 12 is xed within the ears Y32 and 33 which are xed to the outer bar 29. Since the hinge element 39 is Yiixed to the inner .bar 21 and the rod 3l is fixed to the ears 32 and 33 of the outer 'bar 29 and since space is provided between the ears 32 and 33, the outer bar 29 may be slidably moved with respect to the inner bar. In this movement, the rod 3l moves through the xed element 3U carried by the inner or stationary bar 21.

The ear 32 is provided with an inwardly-extending member 34 and the cylinder 39 is provided with a groove or slot 35 adapted to receive the key or teeth 3d of the member 32 when the bar 29 is moved `to the left, as illustrated in Fig.

When the member 30, which is iixed to the inner bar 21, is locked to the ear 32 by means of teeth 34 engaging the recess 35, as illustrated in Fig. 11, the clamping bar 29 is held against rotation and in conflningjrelation about the pins 28. When, however, the bar 29 is moved to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 12, the hinge element 3D is freed from engagement with the ear 32 Y and the clamping bar 29 may be freely swung to open position, as illustrated in Fig. 14.

slidably mounted within the end of the clamping bar 29 toward the free side of the door is aY locking bar 36. The bar 36 is provided with a slot 31 receiving the lock casing 36. A key-l controlled lock 39 is provided with a laterallyextending locking plunger 46 of well-known construction and is adapted to engage an inwardlyturned ange 4I of the locking bar 36. Thus, when the locking plunger 40 is in extended position as illustrated in Fig. 15, the bar 36 may not be moved inwardly. However, when the locking plunger 40 is retracted by the insertion of a key and rotation of the barrel of the lock, the flange 4I is' released and the bar 36 may be moved inwardly.

It wil be observed that the slidably mounted bar 29 together with the extended locking bar 36 substantially ll the space between the frame members 26a as shown in Fig. 9 when the hinge ear 32 is in interlocking engagement with the element 39 of the xed bar 21, as shown more clearly in Figs. 9 and 10. With the plunger 40 extended, as illustrated in Fig, 15, the clamping bar is held against release and the garment container is held in closed condition and safeguarded against removal. When, however, it is desired by the housewife to have access to the inner bar 21 orto the garment container carried by the pins 28 thereof, it is merely necessary for the housewifeto swing the door Illa inwardly so as to release bar 36 from engagement with the doorframe- 26a. This enables the housewife to swing the entire bar 29 together with the locking bar.36 toward the right Iand to effect a release of teeth 34 from slot 35, as illustrated in Fig. 12. The

clamping bar 29 may then be swung to a releasedposition. Similarly, in locking the clamping bar,-

ages/rissa door;coniinesthe end's'of the compositebar made up ofthe clamping bar 29V and the bar 36 which is heldin extended position bythe plunger 40- against lateral movement since the two sides of the doorframe 26a abut theends of thecomposite bar.

Assumingthat thel door is closed and' that the bars are in the extended or locked position illus-- trated in. Figs. and 15, the deliveryman, in order' to obtain access to the inner bar, inserts a key within the lock 39 or otherwise manipulates the lock to retract the locking plunger 4t. This releases the bar 3S for inward movement and by reason of the reduced length off thefbar S, the clamping bar 29 may then be moved. to the right or toward the free side of the door to disengage they teeth 34 from the slot 35. The clamping bar ZB-may then be swung to open position. Locking is` accomplished by a reversal of these movements.

The structures illustrated' show pins employed for supporting a bag or other container for the garments; it will be understood, however, that flanges or other parts may be carried by the inner bar and clamping bar for retaining the clothes or container for the clothes against unauthorized removal.

While in the foregoing specication we have set forth a specic structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilled in the Iart without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

l. In a clothes retainer apparatus, an inner` bar adapted to be xed to the outside of a door mounted in a frame, a clamping bar covering said first-mentioned bar, hinges connecting longitudinal sides of said bars to permit swinging movement of said clamping bar toward and away from said fixed bar, means on said bars for retaining clothes when the clamping bar is in closed position, a slidably-mounted locking bar on said clamping bar for maintaining said clamping bar in conning relation with respect to said inner bar when the door is closed but releasing said clamping bar when the door is opened, and a key-controlled lock for freeing said slidable member to effect release of said clamping bar independently of the closed and open positions oi' the door.

2. In a clothes retainer structure, an inner bar adapted to be secured to the outside of a door mounted in a frame, an outer bar over said inner bar, a hinge connecting longitudinal sides of said bars to permit swinging movement of said outer bar toward and away from said inner bar, means carried by said bars for releasably securing a container therebetween when said bars are in adjacent relation, a slidable locking bar carried by said outer bar for maintaining said outer bar in closed position when said door is closed but permitting release of said outer bar when the door is opened, and locking means on said outer bar for releasing said slidable member independently of the closed and open positions of the door.

3. In a clothes retainer structure, a bagretaining bar adapted to be secured to the outside of a door mounted in a frame and provided with a locking recess, a clamping bar over said bagretaining bar, hinged means connecting longitudinal sides of said bar to permit movement of said bar toward and away from said bag-retaining bar. said clamping bar having an opening in one end; a= slidablev bar receive'dlwithinzsaidzopenerV ing and provided with aslot, a :pin extending.`

4. The structure of claim 3- in-- which the bagal retaining bar is provided with outwardly-extend; ing pins and in which theclamping bar is hollowA and provided with apertures receivingv saidkpins.

f 5. In a clothes retainer structure, an inner bar secured to the outer surfaceof a door mounted ina frame, a composite clamping bar consisting of telescoping members having their ends abutting opposite frame members of said doorframe, hinges connecting said bar members along a longitudinal side to permit relative sliding movement between the inner bar and said composite bar and to permit a swinging movement of said clamping bar when said clamping bar is in one longitudinal position, said hinge elements comprising one apertured element secured to the inner bar and a rod fixed to spaced hinge elements on said clamping bar, said rod extending through said rst-mentioned apertured element, said apertured element and one of said spaced hinge elements being provided with a tongue-and-groove connection and tongue and groove connections on said hinged parts for locking said clamping bar in connning position against said inner bar when said clamping bar is sliding to one longitudinal position.

6. In a clothes retainer structure, an inner bar secured to the outer surface of a door mounted in a frame, a composite clamping bar consisting of teles coping members having their ends abutting opposite iraine members of said doorframe, hinges connecting said bar members along a longitudinal side to permit relative sliding movement between the inner bar and said composite bar and to permit a swinging movement of said clamping bar when said clamping bar is in one longitudinal position, said hinge elements comprising one apertured element secured to the inner bar and a rod fixed to spaced hinge elements on said clamping bar, said rod extending through said rstmentioned apertured element, said apertured element and one of said spaced hinge elements being provided with a tongue-and-groove connection for said hinged elements and key-controlled locking means permitting the movement of one portion of the composite bar into the other to shorten the composite bar whereby said bar is free to swing in a longitudinal direction for freeing the interlocked hinged elements.

7. In a yclothes retainer structure, an inner bar adapted to be secured to a door mounted in a frame, bag-supporting means carried by said bar, a second bar hingedly mounted with respect to said inst-mentioned bar and movable into a confining position about said bag-supporting means, said second bar being hollow, and a locking bar telescopically engaging said second bar for limiting relative movement with respect thereto, said locking bar being engageable to prevent release of said clamping bar when the door is closed but .7V permitting release of said clamping bar for'movement to open position when said door is open, and locking means for conning said locking bar against sliding movementI inwardly but permitting inward movement of'said sliding bar to effect release of said clamping bar when said lookin means is unlocked.

' 8. In a clothes retainer structure, an inner bar adapted to be xed to the outside of a door mounted in a door frame, a second bar covering saidrst-mentioned bar, hinges connecting the top sides of said bars to permit swinging movement of said clamping bar toward and away from said xed bar, said hinges comprising sleeve members connected by a rod, one of said sleeve members being carried by said inner bar and the other of said sleeve members being carried by said second bar and being slidably mounted on said rod, tongue and groove connections between said sleeve members, a slidably mounted locking bar on said clamping bar for maintaining said hinges in interlocked position for confining said clamping bar with respect to said inner bar when the door is closed but releasing said clamping bar to permit separation of said hinge sleeves when the door is open, and a key-controlled lock for freeing said slidable member to eiect release of said hinge sleeves independently of the closed and open positions of the door.

LEO PETERS.

HARRY I. SEBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this Ipatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 712,449 Young Oct. 28, 1902 839,298 Kitterman Dec. 25, 1906. 1,375,553 Brazeau Apr. 19, 1921 1,581,776 Altshul Apr. 20, 1926 

